If we find the courage to listen, the truth is always there. I received a suggestion to be similar to Mother Teresa and show kindness to others. The comment was sparked by my posting of a snarky political cartoon. I struggled to identify my personal truth.
Upon reflection, I've come to the realization that I don't resemble Mother Teresa. This is not a description that has been used to characterize me before, and it's unlikely that it will ever be.
But I do care. Passionately. This post could give the impression that I'm trying to prove how caring I am with stories about my life. While there could be some truth to that, my goal is to demonstrate the impact of caring.
I had an experience when teaching in an alternative school in the Atlantic City projects. No child left behind was the top priority for my governor, Christie, and president, Bush.
I was going to rescue these kids, driven by my displaced ego. Yeah right. One day in the classroom and they showed me.
The thing that happened was that they saved me. As soon as I identified my problem, I was able to fix it. Once they realized I genuinely cared about them and I opened up, most of them responded. Consequently, I was able to teach. Their test scores confirmed it, allowing me to maintain a small distance from the social norm of conformity.
Another was when I left a sweet little cottage in Sonoma and drove here from California. I ended up on the north shore of Eastern Long Island, trusting that I would land on my feet.
Obtaining a rental in Eastern Long Island is challenging. They are essentially non-existent. However, I managed to find a place with over fifty other people waiting. Hence, this place holds great value for me.
A while back, I was tested when a mother duck, who had lost twenty of her young in the past year, brought her new batch of eleven to me.
The condo rules prohibit feeding ducks, but I did it anyway. I talked myself into believing that they lacked the ability to fly and needed my support to become strong and healthy. I came close to getting evicted. But now they soar and I know I contributed to humanity and it makes me feel good. Once again, I managed to break free from the grip of conformity that sought to drain my rebellious spirit.
What's my final analysis? Caring is the key to life and leadership. I search for reflections of myself because of my passion for finding leaders to vote for in office.
To finalize, I wish I were more like Mother Teresa. Nice and kind reside in the depths of my being. From my perspective, caring is the pivotal word that will improve this world. If we let our inner humanitarian conquer the authoritarian, our lives will transform. Life transformation is possible by prioritizing the care of each other, our community, and the environment. Care conquers all when the Love of power is overcome.
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